Foresight Paint

Perry Prussians

2012-02-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

My latest contribution

WW1 French

2012-01-24T00:54:00.000-08:00

I'm having an eBay splurge at the moment. Some North Star French at:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280811437155?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Imperial Guard

2012-01-22T01:13:00.000-08:00

Its been a while but I've finally finished something. The Victrix Old Guard unit is finally done and I dont want to see a blue greatcoat for a long time. In line with my normal practice I cannot think what to do with them so they are currently on eBay at:

http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p4340.l2565&rt=nc&item=280810933297

Photos below. I'm now doing some Normans as light relief.

Success on eBay?

2011-12-12T00:48:00.001-08:00

Well, it's a question rather than a statement. I was reading one of those men's magazines the other day (FHM since you ask, the Jan 11 edition if you want to check) and there was an article entitled 'Get Rich Ideas' and there at number 8 was 'Set Up an E Bay Shop'. I've done a bit of eBay trading in the past so thought that this must be worth a minute or two of my schedule to see if there are any good ideas that I am missing. I'm usually pretty good on irony but when the first paragaph ended with the statement 'buy your products cheap, sell them at a profit' I did think that I was rather wasting my time. This was rather confirmed when a so-called expert was then quoted as saying 'The key to success on eBay is finding items that sell'. Really?

Anyway, all that aside, I do scan the eBay historical figures section on an irregular basis to see what is currently doing well. A few years ago you could not go wrong with Flames of War. If it was decently painted and presented then it was almost certain to sell. As long as you didn't expect to make a living out of it then it was a way of funding your hobby. At present it seems as if Napoleonics are enjoying a bit of a resurgence with once again, well painted figures seeming to fetch good prices. There also seems to be a thriving individual pieces market with gunfighters, generals, pirates and such like being snapped up. There is a Henry V figure on there as I write which is jaw droppingly good and at a current price of £36 (or thereabouts) is typical of the genre although I would stress that this is at the upper end of what people seem prepared to pay.

But what constitutes a reasonable price? I reckon that for the average foot figure that is well painted then if you get £5 you are doing verywell. Given that it must take a minimum of an hour for the work necessary to create the figure in the first place then you have to wonder if you wouldn't be better off getting a job that pays the minimum wage. I see that the painting pros charge about £20 for a foot figure if you go straight for the commission route although even these acrylic gods seem to routinely use eBay.

So I throw the question open. Is it really as simple as well painted, photographed and priced figures or is there more to it? Does anyone have any tricks of the trade they are willing to share? Does timing play a part? I try to launch my sales at early Sunday evening on the basis that this gives the best chance of snaring weekend browsers - and before you ask, this is only a subjective view. I have no evidence whatsoever to back this assertion up.

The V22 Osprey

2011-12-02T07:26:00.001-08:00

I'm not an enthusiastic flyer but unfortunately its an occupational hazard. For anyone currently travelling around Southern Helmand this means, more often than not, an excursion in the technological curiosity that is the V22 Osprey. This is the US Marine aircraft of choice these days. It used to be the rather more traditional and hence reassuring CH-53 in which whilst you got liberally showered in hydraulic oil, at least you knew that the rotor holding you up in the air was not going to perform a 90 degree turn whilst you were several hundred feet up.

For those unaware of its party trick, the Osprey turns from a helicopter (see picture) into a conventional aircraft by rotating those very large engines on the end of each wing into the forward position after take off (and back again for landing). Every passenger is grimly aware of the casualty strewn development path that the aircraft followed. Crashes were common and for the more imaginative hold dweller it does not make for a comfortable flight.

I am no aeronautical engineer but the physics of the thing seems to demand a very steep rate of climb. Once you know what is about to happen you hold on very tight as it feels like a 45 degree angle of ascent. Bags have been known to fly out of the very open back doors and even the tail gunner crewmen (normally the most insouciant of individuals) can be seen to be grasping onto anything solid with both hands as they fight their battle with gravity. Once airborne it's fast but blessed with rapid deceleration and a series of alarming clunks and thumps. What was that? Wheels coming down? The rotors rotating? Something falling off?

Helmand has its share of challenges but I am never so grateful for its rocky terrain as when I step off the Osprey.

Finding something new to say

2011-11-10T21:05:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted recently because I'm back in Afghanistan so I cannot show you my latest photos of a fully painted British Napoleonic Regiment of the line because neither they nor the figures exist. I once brought a small painting set out here to see if I could get something done but it was just all too difficult with the dust and the general topsy turvey life. So my only exposure to miniature painting is through the web and the various forums. This pretty much means the TMP and the Steve Dean site so if there's anything that I'm missing out there then do tell me. I tried Frothers but frankly it tries too hard to be different - its the web equivalent of that Frankie chap from X Factor. You're not really a rebel just because you swear on live TV. Nor are you just because you paint fantasy model figures.

Anyway I was sorry to see on TMP that the magazine Battlegames is closing down. I have to say that I have never seen an actual copy of the magazine itself but I have skimmed the website and I think I get the niche it sought to fill. It's always easy to be wise after the event but I remember thinking when it was first launched that the publisher was taking a very big risk. I've commented before on the economics of model soldier businesses (to a resounding silence I must say so I won't labour the point) but wth a magazine the challenge to find something new to say every month that attracts and retains readership must be daunting. I find it hard enough keeping a blog going. I like having a magazine I can read in the bath rather than getting everything on the web so for me pictures and adverts are enough but with the cost of a magazine such as WI fast approaching £5 a copy its not a cheap thrill.

So I wish Henry Hyde the best of luck. Labours of love are all well and good but no substitute for good risk analysis.

On a separate note I once bought a unit of Elite Austrian Napoleonic infantry and it took me the best part of a year to paint the wretched things. They are probably no more complex than any other figure but all that white.... I wont be buying the new plastics that seem to be everywhere at the moment. The Russians though? I'm not sure.

Back again

2011-10-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

I've had a short rest and am now back in good old Helmand again. At least now the weather is cooling down - it's hard to forget after a summer where temperatures are routinely in the high 40's just how cold it can get here in winter especially at night.

I was able to get a little bit of painting in during my leave. The Victrx Old Guard are coming along and I managed to finish 11 of them. I was quite pleased with them and had intended to put some work in progress pictures up but didn't get around to it so I'll aim to do that when I'm next at home. I even managed to get a dark blue for the greatcoats that I was pleased with. Given that they are pretty straightforward figures once you are used to them I aimed for 4 layers - 1. VMC Black and Dark Prussian Blue. 2. DPB 3. DPB and a touch of grey blue 4. DPB and a bit more grey blue.

I also bought a copy of Wargames Illustrated for the first time in a while. It's the copy with the Saxons on the front - I'm not sure what month it is - but I think it's very good. Very heavy on pictures including an impressive ECW layout. I'm not sure what the general consensus is on the magazine these days but I find it to be an enjoyable 'read in the bath' experience.

Vallejo Dark Earth

2011-10-06T01:49:00.000-07:00

I bought a pot of the relatively recent Vallejo base covering. I mentioned before that doing bases is something I always find a little trying. Putting down sucessive layers of polyfilla, sand and paint is a time consuming business and I would support any product that speeds up and simplifies this. So I hoped that Vallejo had come up with a solution.

I don't think they have. Anyone who has previosuly used their pumice ground covering will instantly recognise the product. Its simply that with added colouring. It says that it can be painted on with a brush but unless I am doing something incredibly wrong I dont think that is the case if you want an effective finish. Its hard to layer the stuff and as it dries it goes very thin. This means you need a lot of layers to build up a base layer that properly disguises the standard 28mm base. And its this thats the problem. In the end its no quicker than using the tradional sand method. To be fair it does dry quickly but leaves an ultimate finish that is too smooth. I think that it may be more suited to 15mm figures in this respect. I used a lot of flock to cover up the 'difficult' bits

I'll persevere and will try mixing it with sand to see if this helps but thats rather defeating the object of a product that is supposed to offer a one-stop, convenient basing material. At just over £8 a tub its not going to break the bank and you do get quite a decent helping of the stuff but for me it just did not deliver. Sorry Vallejo, my table is covered with all your other products but this one will probably sit gathering dust as the back unless someone comes up with a bright idea for a means of employment.

For sale

2011-09-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of nice PM's regarding figures for sale or painting services. If you are interested in buying anything you see on this blog or have some figures you need painting then please drop me a line. I'm sure we can work something out.

Imperial Guard

2011-09-30T02:57:00.000-07:00

I ordered a set of Victrix Guard Grenadiers as a bit of a change from yet another regiment of ECW foot (or 'foote' if you are looking for that faux-historic style that modellers seem to enjoy. I always used to laugh at articles in WI (normally ACW) that used to have the word 'damn' represented as 'd***' as if it gave the reader some sense of authenticity. Anyway, I digress). The figures are pretty good but it is a slightly different painting experience. The much thinner muskets for example are a bit of a challenge. Anyway here's my first attempt so its a bit of a work in progress. See what you think.

ECW Cuirassiers

2011-09-27T03:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how viable a full Regiment of Cuirassiers would be in terms of historical accuracy but here they are anyway. The Bicorne/Renegade mix in this case was not as seamless as for some of their other figures but it just about works. The guidon is by GMB (who else?) and is that of Sir Arthur Haselrigge's regiment.

Home again

2011-09-27T03:30:00.000-07:00

Things have been a bit quiet as I've been making my way home to UK. Evetually made it last Friday so it seems appropriate to catch up a bit. My painting shrine was just as I had left it.

Its been a bit quiet

2011-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't written for a week or so as I've been rather tied up with other stuff. However I haven't been totally idle and managed to get an order away for a box of the Victrix Imperial Guard. I still have yet to fully come to terms with the fact that I am sitting in a metal box in a FOB in Helmand and can order model figures from an address in Bracknell. I also ordered a pot of the new Vallejo basing mix. It says that you can apply it with a paint brush and voila, instant terrain. I hope so. If I can find a shortcut that means I don't have to go through the palaver of sticking the figures on a base, putting polyfilla on, adding sand and grit and then painting it then I shall be very happy. There's always a stray lump of glue that finds it way halfway up the backlegs of some figures you have spent ages painting and you never notice it until it's too late.

I've also been watching the regular 'attack the editor' skirmish that has been taking place on TMP. I'm reminded of the quote - forget who - that said about hostile media 'they can say what they like about me as long as they spell my name right'. Anyway I've commented before at my bemusement on sci fi figures and the like so I scratched my head vigourously at a contributor to the website who said 'When are the Space Demons with bioweapons coming out? I really need those as well. Any plans to make even larger bioweapon creatures?' It's the 'really need' bit that I cannot fathom.

I also see that Colours took place on the weekend just gone. I'm an irregular attender at shows. I find that its a bit like Christmas. The build up is the best bit and then once it's gone you end up wondering what the fuss was all about. And hey, guess what, I take a rucsack which probably renders me beyond the pale.

Business plans.

2011-09-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

My post about market research drew no response! But I'm not going to let that stop me. I am genuinely interested in the business planning side of running a miniatures company. I recall a few years back when at the height of their fame, Foundry sent out quite a long piece of text on the model they were following. There were no stunning surprises in it but it did provide some of the numbers. If anybody has a copy or a link to it then it would be interesting to read it again particularly in the light of the subsequent history of the Company.

I guess that it all comes down to knowing your market and then developing a quality product to fill it. In many respects the recent rush to plastic was a very obvious step given the success GW had had with a similar approach. The Perry sites talks about their trepidation about taking this route and reflects the concerns of every first mover in any market but presumably they had done their research in this respect. ACW as a theme is not exactly a high risk strategy but how much does it cost to design and bring to market a range of figures and where is the break even point?

If anyone has any thoughts or links on any of this I would be very interested to hear them. Presumably the first phone call every company makes these days is to Paul Hicks.....

WW1 scenery

2011-08-31T02:32:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read it then let me recommend:

http://sidneyroundwood.blogspot.com/2011/08/dead-marshes-part-2-painting.html

Its the sort of article I would love to be able to write but I haven't got the room, the time, the opportunity, the patience, the skill, the motivation.......

Some more Normans

2011-08-31T00:24:00.000-07:00

I did a few Norman units a few years ago in which I adopted a common colour scheme. Here are the blue and yellows. Probably not historically accurate but who knows? The Bayeux tapestry does not have an opinion. Anyway I thought they looked good and the theme meant that I didn't have to come up with a brand new colour scheme for every figure.

In retrospect their faces do look a bit yellow. I was surprised at this as I do use the GW flesh tones which seem to be pinkier than the VMC ones. But otherwise I was happy with them.

Normans

2011-08-30T03:42:00.000-07:00

Some more oldies who were also sold into slavery. These are Crusader miniatures and were great to paint. I'm quite a fan of the chunky style particularly with my ever more feeble eyesight. A couple of months ago I painted some of the Perry ACW plastics and was surprised at how small they seemed. I'm contemplating getting some of the plastic WotR or Napoleonic sets but will probably initially try them out just to see how I can cope with them. I doubt they will have eyes! Or should I get Victrix?

Anyway, here come the Normans.........

eBay, Paypal and strange domestic habits

2011-08-28T01:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a bit of an eBay and Paypal morning so I am obviously in a bad mood. It's ever so easy when they want to take money off you but when you need a bit of service in exchange for your cash it all becomes a bit difficult. Autoreply e mails are up there with call centres when it comes to unhelpful.

Anyway having endured the misery I had a short float around the 'for sale' bit. I was somewhat surprised to see one seller advertising their figures coming from a 'smoke free house'. I'd seen pet free houses put on a black list before and this should not have come as a shock but it did. Are there really people out there who are so discriminating that they can detect these aromas coming off model soldiers? I suppose there must be. If so, what else do they object to? I think back to my house and all the potentially harmful influences that might be lurking. I do like a bowl of peanuts every now and then but am now concerned that I should be mentioning it on my eBay ads. After all allergies such as this need to be taken seriously. Perhaps I should stop eating them?

That's not my Dad

2011-08-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

I don't want this blog to become an Afghan journal so I try to keep stories to a minimum. However sometimes you are confronted with a situation that rather takes the wind out of your sails.

The District welcomed back a senior Elder to its ranks the other day. He had been away, partly on family business, partly out of pique that he had not been given a prestigious role in the community. His return was marked by a general air of celebration and everyone was all smiles. He had even brought a child with him and the little lad who must have been around 10 years old hung around shyly by his side.

'Is this your son?' asked one of the international staff.

'No' replied the Elder 'he is my brother in law'

Silence.

Shades of Blue

2011-08-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy a good 'discussion' between wargamers/modellers on the issue of what is the right colour shade of uniform colour. The latest one, which is keeping me thoroughly entertained, is on a well known painting site and concerns what ACW infantry might or might not have worn. What I particularly like about this particular debate is that it did not start out as a discussion on colour. A proud presenter put up a picture of some very well painted figures and there then followed the usual raft of applause from impressed viewers. So far, so good until one commentator said (and I paraphrase) 'Yes, they are very good, but they are the wrong colour'.

If its possible for the temperature to drop on a modelling Forum then that's what happened. 'What do you mean?" came the somewhat icy response. 'They are the wrong shade of blue' said the commentator and there then ensued a general free for all in which ever more obscure references were quoted and flung around. At no stage did it descend into a brawl - the tone throughout was punctiliously correct and everyone was at pains to keep the language at the level of an earnest academic debate. But its the subtext that counts...

At what point does a point of detail become an irrellevance? Well, I suppose we would all probably raise an eyebrow if someone depicted the Foot Guards at Waterloo in blue coats rather than red. A grey waterbottle instead of a blue one might be pushing it. But the wrong shade of blue? It's taking it a little too far in my view but then modellers can be a tough crowd and it takes all sorts. I'm just grateful if I can get a dark blue triad that actually works - the standard VMC dark prussian blue and prussian blue combo never seems to cut it.

In the meantime, enjoy the debate if you find it. I wont post a link or be any more specific. In many ways its a discussion that has taken place before and will no doubt happen again. No comment from me other than that the figures are very well painted.

Artizan Andalucians

2011-08-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some Artizan Andalucians that I painted a while back. I rather liked them (despite having to do quite a number of cloaks) and so felt a little guilty when I sold them on eBay. It would have been nice to have been able to stipulate that the buyer should submit regular reports on how they are getting on as a condition of sale. However no doubt if eBay added this as an option it would come as yet another cost. I’m just waiting for them to charge for having the visits counter.

Anyway, before this descends into an eBay/paypal whinge, I’ll stop. Hope you like the figures.

Market Research

2011-08-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

I was glancing through TMP the other day and saw an announcement for WWW1 German assault figures. I didn’t realise it as I clicked on the link but the spare W in the title should have warned me – it was, of course, a range of ‘weird’ (read ‘made up’) models. Now I’ll declare my hand early on here – sci fi and fantasy, well I just don’t get it. I don’t criticise it, to each their own, but it’s not for me. Rather like fox hunting, I cannot see the fun in it but I’m not going to ban it.

The figures themselves looked like fairly workmanlike sculpts with a mix of 1914 and sci fi uniforms. But I did start to wonder about the business case the makers must have put together before they decided to start making the things – is there actually a market for these? I’m guessing that the breakeven point for a single figure these days must run in to above the thousand pound mark with sculpting, moulding, raw materials and marketing taken into account. That’s a lot of figures that need to be sold before the maker even starts to make a profit. Are there really that many people who will be into this collection?

Given the plethora of fantasy figures out there – orcs, elves, zombies, alternative histories, space ships, even WWW1 Germans – how many of these ranges actually work? I ask this in the full knowledge that the biggest team on the block, GW, runs a highly successful business based on the very genre I am talking about. But they must hoover up a huge proportion of the available disposable income that goes into the hobby making life even tougher for the more marginal makers out there.

In short, where is the market research for WWW1 Germans and the like? I am genuinely curious to know. In the meantime I saw some nice Crimean War sculpts from North Star. They look more like it....

Funny old world

2011-08-23T03:39:00.000-07:00

We were talking with a local Afghan Elder this morning and he said that he was deaf in one ear. After the usual regrets and commiserations we asked him how it had happened. Quite matter of factly he said that he had done it when firing an RPG whilst at a funeral.

It turned out that the insurgents had murdered another Elder in an attempt to intimidate the wider population. It was not a brilliant strategy and the District great and good attended the victim’s funeral en masse. In order to turn the screw a little tighter the insurgents therefore decided to attack the ceremony itself. Fortunately the good guys had come prepared and a gun and rocket battle took place, one consequence of which was our Elder losing his right eardrum. I rather hope that the funeral was successfully concluded.

I only report this for the rather Soprano-esque nature of the incident and to highlight the culture of the frontier which is still strongly rooted in Pashtun society. Democratic elections anyone?

On a different note I stood in a queue of US Marines for an evening meal the other day. The four lads in front of me were about 18 – 19 years old and all heavily armed. And what were they talking about? Griffendor. Never mind Daniel Radcliffe growing up on screen, here were the Harry Potter generation who would have been 8 or so years old when the films first started coming out. And their common point of reference in Afghanistan in 2011 was the adventures of a boy wizard and his fantasy school.

It’s a funny old world.

It makes me so angry.........

2011-08-21T02:59:00.001-07:00

After the positive stuff I thought that a few grumbles and groans regarding military modelling might be in order. If any of these come as a surprise then tell me but I bet they don't......

1. The paypal/eBay double whammy - was that your profit, sir? Well, thank you. Kerching.

2. Catering at Wargames Shows - you expect me to eat that? Do you really hate me that much?

3. GW Gamestore staff - I'm 52 years old and I'm not your 'mate' now or ever. I'm only here for a pot of paint so let me have it and I'll be on my way. And stop yelling at me.

4. Wargames Foundry - foot, shoot, in.

5. Bring and buy customers - ouch, that hurt

6. The old Wargames Illustrated - and now Part 5 of Austrian Armed River Steamers 1910-1914

7. The new Wargames Illustrated - Vietnam, surely it will catch on soon

8. Matt varnish - which never is

9. Carlist Wars - ha ha. A whole range? You're kidding me right? When were they?

10 Grumpy old men - Eh? Oh. Ah....

Kings Lifeguard

2011-08-21T01:55:00.000-07:00

I'm quite pleased with the way these figures turned out. You'll see its the photo I'm currently using as the background to the blog but here is the whole thing. As usual they are Bicorne and Renegade figures with GMB standards. Happy to talk about paint triads if anyone wishes to know what I used.